Apparatus for burning fuel



'Oct. 13, 1936. G. J. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUEL Filed Nov. 5. 1950 4 Sheets- Sheet, 1

INVENTOR J M a G. J. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUEL Filed Nov; 5. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii.

ENTOR Oct. 13, 1936. M 2,057,276"

APPARATUS FOR BURNING 'FUEL Filed Nov. 5. 1930 "4 Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR Oct. 13, l936- G. J. MORGAN 2,057,276

I APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUEL Filed NOV. 5. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v 76 -g L 1 EHE-I E E.

Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to the art of combustion, and more particularly to an apparatus by which the formation of clinkers as an incidenttothe burning of solid fuel, and

- more particularly coke, is prevented.

Under many, conditions, it is desirable to utilize coke in place of ordinary coal, for the reason primarily. that coke represents a smokeless fuel. Thus in locomotives which at times pass. through localities in which smoke ordinancesare rigidly enforced, and at other times stand. for appreciable periods in train sheds, stations and the like, it is most desirable to utilize a fuel such as coke. Coke also possesses the decided advantage that there are more heat units available per pound of fuel, thereby making-it possible to eifect the necessary steam generation with a less dead load of fuel in the locomotive tender.

Theuse of coke has heretofore been attempted under conditions of the character referred to,- all of which usually involve a severe draft, and it has been found objectionable due to the tendency of the ashes to melt and fuse together into a clinker over the bottom of the fuel bed. The objections to such clinkers are well-understood in the art.

I havefound that even under conditions of forced draft firing it is possible to prevent clinker formation by subjecting the fuel bed, and preferably the lower portion thereof adjacent the grate or grate bars, to the action of a fluid medium of such characteristics that it will effect a lowering of the fuel temperature below the fusion point of ash and at the same time will support combustion, and preferably promote it to a certain extent, whereby the lowering of the temperature is offset by an improved combustion condition. While it is possible-more or less effectively to obtain these results in different ways, I have found that clinker formation even with proper combustion can be most effectively prevented by subjecting the fuel bed to a distributed blast of steam and air, the steam being effective for lowering the temperature, and the airfor maintaining or promoting combustion.

Inthe accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention; In the drawings:

Figure 1' illustrates diagrammatically, partly in section and partly in side elevation, a portion of a locomotive and fire box constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure. 2' is a partial top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail plan view, on an en- 5 larged scale, of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 4';

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional View, on a still larger scale, along the line VII-VII of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1,, illustrating a stationary boiler; and

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view on the line IX-IX of Figure 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, I have indicated a portion of a loco.- motive fire box 2. and ash pan 3. Disposed above the ash pan is a series of grate bars 4, herein illustrated with their operating connections in outline only for facilitating an understanding of the present invention. Disposed below the grate bars is a pair of longitudinally extending air ducts 5 herein shown as comprising a plurality of individual sections detachably secured together in any desired manner. Due to this construction, the flexibility of the installation and its over-all length as well as the distribution, arrangement and number of fluid supply means. may be varied at will as hereinafter more fully described.

As will be apparent from Figures 6 and 7, each of" the air ducts in addition to comprising a series of sections uniting in a direction generally transverse to the axis, includes sections 6 adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to opposite sides of a plate 1. This plate may. conveniently be in the form of a casting, or rolled shape provided with a longitudinally extending opening 8 threaded to receive nozzles 9. Opposite each of the nozzles 9, one of the air duct sections 6 is formed with a combined air and steam nozzle [0 projecting laterally and having its axis substantially coinciding with the axis of the nozzle 9 with which it cooperates.

With the ends of the ducts 5 freely open, it will be apparent that air under substantially atmospheric pressure or higher depending upon the disposition of the air ducts and the speed of the locomotive, will always be available in the ducts and ready for discharge through the nozales ill at such time as steam is discharged through the nozzles 9, the nozzles 9 being effective as air aspirating and ejecting means. It will be apparent, however, that the end openings may be replaced or augmented by any desired arrangement of intermediate air admission openings. The steam for this purpose may be delivered to the passageway 8 through a suitable steam line H.

Inasmuch as it is desirable to maintain at all times as nearly a uniform condition of temperature over the entire grate area as possible, it is preferable to effect a diffusion of the combined air and steam mixture prior to the time that the same comes into contact with the fuel bed. This may be eifectively brought about by the provision of an individual deflector l2 cooperating with the discharge end of each of the nozzles ID and extending upwardly and outwardly across the path of discharge therefrom. As will be apparent more particularly from Figures 4 and 6 of the drawings, the deflectors l2 in addition to extending upwardly and outwardly, are also transversely curved with their convex portions l4 so disposed as to receive the impact of the airsteam mixture from the nozzles ID. This construction tends to deflect the mixture laterally as well as upwardly, and to diffuse the same more or less uniformly over an appreciable portion of the grate area.

In Figures 8 and 9 the invention is illustrated as applied to a stationary boiler which includes a fire box I5 having a grate composed of grate bars I6 herein illustrated in outline only. Disposed below the grate is an air-steam delivering and distributing device herein shown as comprising a casting I! having a steam supply passage 18 therethrough and communicating with a series of steam nozzles l9 arranged at generally right angles to each other and forming a rosette. Opposite each of the nozzles I9 the casting is formed with a combined air-steam nozzle 20 adapted to receive air through a bottom opening 2| under the aspirating action of the nozzles l9. Cooperating with each of the nozzles 20 is a deflecting means 22 of the general nature hereinbefore described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention is applicable to boilers of a Wide variety of different types and sizes, and that the steam-air distributing means may be arranged in a different manner depending upon the characteristic construction of the grate or boiler with which the invention is being utilized. In all cases, however, there is effected a more or less uniform delivery of a fluid mixture, preferably of air and steam against the lower layer of material on the grate. This will customarily be an ash zone above which are superimposed in the order named, a fusion zone, a fuel zone and a combustion zone. I have found that this mixture uniting with the hot coals in the bottom of the fuel bed lowers the temperature of the lower layer by its action thereon, to a point below the fusion point of the ash, the combined air sup:- porting combustion at the point Where the steam alone tends only to lower the temperature.

Dry steam may be utilized in accordance with the present invention, and I have found that more efiicient results are generally obtainable by the use of dry steam, since it is not desired to obtain a wetting action as much as it is desired to extract heat from the fuel bed and lower the temperature thereof to a point where dry ashes in pulverized form will be produced. Dry steam effects such a temperature lowering and is itself cracked, or separated into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen tends to support combustion in the fire box, and the hydrogen burns as a gas over the fire, the combined air assisting in the combustion as will be readily apparent. In actual practice it has been found that such a steamair mixture is not only effective for preventing clinker formation, but that it is also effective for producing clinker disintegration where clinkers have been previously formed.

While steam alone may be utilized if desired, 1 have found that the results produced are not as desirable as the results obtainable from a steam-air mixture.

While I have herein illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as well as in the manner of practicing the invention, may be made without departing either from the spirit of the invention or the scope of my broader claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a fire box having a grate, of an air duct below said grate comprising a center plate having a passageway extending longitudinally thereof and formed with openings for the discharge of a fluid medium from said passageway, andnozzle sections secured to said plate and providing nozzles in line with said openings.

2. The combination with a fire box having a grate, of an air duct below said grate comprising a center plate having a passageway extending longitudinally thereof and formed with openings for the discharge of a fluid medium from said passageway, and nozzle sections secured to said plate on opposite sides thereof and providing nozzles in line with said openings.

3. The combination with a fire box having a grate, of an air duct below said grate comprising a center plate having a passageway extending longitudinally thereof and formed with openings for the discharge of a fluid medium from said passageway, nozzle sections secured to said plate and providing nozzles in line with said openings, and deflectors carried by said duct in line with said nozzles.

4. Apparatus for cooling an ashbed on a furnace grate comprising a sectional duct below the grate, nozzles extending from certain duct sections, a steam pipe supported within said duct, and nozzles on the pipe extending toward said first-mentioned nozzles, said nozzles being sufliciently close to the grate to supply hot, dry steam of uniform quality under its own velocity to all portions of the grate.

5. A fluid distribution apparatus comprising a plurality of trough-like members secured together in pairs forming conduit sections, said sections being secured together end to end to form a duct, certain of said members having nozzles projecting therefrom, inner conduit means within and extending along said duct and communicating therewith, and means attached to said sections for supporting said inner conduit means.

GUY J. MORGAN. 

